As Clarkston put the finishing touches on a 31-21 victory Sept. 1 over host West Bloomfield, the jubilation attached to the Wolves first win of the season evaporated as senior quarterback Mike Kittle lay injured on the field.
According to Clarkston Coach Kurt Richardson, Kittle will make a full recovery, a declaration which might surprise anyone who watched him attended to for approximately 20 minutes before being taken off the field on a stretcher and then to Beaumont Hospital.
‘He said he lost feeling for a moment, but he had it back,? said Richardson. ‘It was pretty much precautionary. But anytime a kid goes off on a board like that you just hold your breath.?
While the importance of the football game was dwarfed by Kittle’s sobering injury, the Wolves did erase some of the bad taste left by a 17-0 loss to Rochester Adams in the season opener on Aug. 26. Clarkston’s first points of the season did not come until 4:07 of the second quarter on a 26-yard field goal by junior Ryan Breen making the score 7-3.
‘We knew we would put some points on the board. You have to credit the offensive line tonight. They did an excellent job. They controlled the line of scrimmage after the first quarter and Nick DeVault ran hard; and Steve McIsaac, he always runs hard. We did some good things,? said Richardson.
Putting points on the board suited the Wolves as DeVault found the end zone with 2:00 minutes remaining in the half, after Clarkston forced West Bloomfield into a three and out offensive series. DeVault’s touchdown gave Clarkston a 10-7 lead after Breen’s extra point kick.
?(DeVault’s) got some wheels. If he gets to the corner he’s going to give people problems,? said Richardson.
Clarkston came out of the locker room with fervor on both sides of the ball. An interception by junior Kevin Badgley led to a five-minute drive, ending in another DeVault touchdown run from the three-yard-line, which, after Breen’s kick, had the Wolves up 17-7.
‘We played good in the first quarter and we played good in the fourth quarter. (Clarkston’s) offensive line dominated us in the last five minutes of the first (half) and in the third quarter,? said Shrewsberry.
Another Badgley interception on West Bloomfield’s ensuing possession, followed by another sustained drive capped by a touchdown, by McIsaac, gave the Lakers? fans a bad case of deja vu.
With his team down 24-7, West Bloomfield’s Eric Walker scored his second touchdown of the game on a 97-yard kickoff return to make the score 24-14 with 0:45 remaining in the third quarter.
The Lakers lit the score board again with 3:34 left in the game to draw within three points of the Wolves. The threat to Clarkston’s lead did not last long as DeVault eluded West Bloomfield’s clutches on a 51-yard touchdown gallop on the Wolves? first play from scrimmage after West Bloomfield’s kickoff.
DeVault pounded out 134 yards on the ground to go with his three touchdowns.
To ensure the explosive Walker could not dazzle his way into the end zone on a kick return, Clarkston opted for an onside kick following DeVault’s touchdown ? a gambit which paid off as the Wolves pounced on the ball before the Lakers could react.
‘There was no way (Walker) was touching the ball, there was no way he was touching the ball. I would have fired my special teams coach if he had touched the ball,? said Richardson.
After Kittle was injured trying to run out the clock, West Bloomfield got the ball back with 0:37 left in the game. The Lakers? last flicker of hope was extinguished by senior Mitch Miller’s interception in the closing seconds.
Clarkston’s home opener is Sept. 9 against Farminton Hills Harrison. Richardson feels that Kittle could be ready for the game.